24-
the western districts again subject to the dominion of Carthage,
the Selinuntians, with the inhabitants of the other Greek cities,
returned to their obedience, sometimes experiencing; the rigour,
and at others the clemency of their subjugators.

At length, however, the fortune of the Romans decidedly
prevailing, the Carthaginians were gradually driven from their
possessions, and Lilybseum, and a few dependent holds in the
vicinity, were all that remained to them1 ; but here they deter-
mined to concentrate their forces, and make one grand effort,
before abandoning for ever a territory which had cost them so
many lives and so much treasure in acquiring and maintaining.
In the execution of this plan, the extinction of Selinus was
decreed ; the city was demolished, and the inhabitants were re-
moved to Lilybasum2. This catastrophe was final, and Selinus
never afterwards found a place in the page of ancient history.
Her memory, however, has been preserved in subsequent ages.
Her name finds a place in the verses of the poets3; her site is
indicated by the Itineraries, and by the geographers of antiquity
she is enumerated among the uninhabited cities of Sicily'.

Some authors suppose that Selinus once more revived after
the Christian aera. On the conquest of Sicily by the Saracens
in the ninth century she is represented as the first object of their
attack, and as easily taken by assault. The horrors the inha-
bitants are related to have endured on this occasion, are calcu-
lated to make us think lightly of her ancient woes. In order